Ulrich Pinkall David Chubelaschwili

Elastic strips

Ulrich PinkallDavid Chubelaschwili

DFG Research Center MATHEON

Mathematics for key technologies

May 1, 2010

Elastic Moebius strips

Elastic Strips 2 / 26

Developpable strips

. Let γ : [0, L]→ R3 be an arclength parametrized curve with Frenetframe T ,N ,B . Assume that there is a smooth functionλ : [0, L]→ R such that the curvature and torsion of γ satisfy

τ = λκ.

. Then f : [0, L]× [−ε, ε]→ R3 defined by

f (s, t) = γ(s) + t(B(s) + λT (s))

parametrizes a developpable strip of width 2ε.


Developpable strips

. α the angle between the curveand the normal to the rulings

λ = tanα

. Photographs 1961 byW. Wunderlich


Bending energy

. The bending energy

E =

∫H2dA

can be expressed as

E =

∫ L

0

κ2(1 + λ2)2log(1 + ελ′)− log(1− ελ′)

λ′ds.

. Wunderlich 1961


Elastic Moebius bands

. Starostin and van der Heijden computed in2007 the Euler-Lagrange equations

. Variational complex Computer algebra

. Numerical study of energy-minimizingMoebius bands


Infinitesimally thin bands

. In the limit ε→ 0 the curvature κ jumps from+1 to -1 at the inflection point.

. Torsion τ is continuous with value 1.

. Angle between curve and rulings jumps from45◦ to −45◦.

. Energy minimizing Moebius bands are onlyC 1.



. In the limit ε→ 0 the curvature κ jumps from+1 to -1 at the inflection point.

. Torsion τ is continuous with value 1.

. Angle between curve and rulings jumps from45◦ to −45◦.

. Energy minimizing Moebius bands are onlyC 1.


Sadowski functional

. In the limit ε→ 0 the energy becomes

E =

∫ L

0

κ2(1 + λ2)2ds.

. Introduced by Sadowski in 1930 as

E =

∫ L

0

(κ2 + τ 2)2

κ2ds.

. E has to be minimized among strips with fixed length Langrange multiplier µ in Euler-Lagrange equations.


Euler-Lagrange equations

Computed in 2005 by Hagan, subsequently corrected by Romingerand Chubelaschwili

0 = (κ′(1 + λ2)2 + 2κ(1 + λ2)λλ′)′

+κ

2(κ2(1 + λ2)2 − µ)

+ λκ(κ2(1 + λ2)2λ + (κ′

κ(1 + λ2)2λ))′ + (1 + λ2)2λ)′′)

0 = (κ2(1 + λ2)2λ + (κ′

κ(1 + λ2)2λ)′ + ((1 + λ2)2λ)′′)′

+ κλ(κ′(1 + λ2)2 + 2κ(1 + λ2)λλ′)


Simple examples

Planar elastic curves and helices yield elastic strips with λ = const.


General examples

Other periodic examples can befound by numerical search(Rominger 2007).


Conservation laws

Theorem (Chubelaschwili 2009): A strip is elastic ⇔

the force vector

b =1

2(κ2(1 + λ2)2 + µ) T

+ (κ′(1 + λ2)2 + 2κ(1 + λ2)λλ′) N

− (κ2(1 + λ2)2λ + (κ′

κ(1 + λ2)2λ)′ + ((1 + λ2)2λ)′′) B

is constant.


Conservation laws

Theorem (Chubelaschwili 2009): For an elastic strip

the torque vector

a = 2κλ (1 + λ2) T

+1

κ(2κλ (1 + λ2))′N

+ κ (1 + λ2) (1− λ2) B

− b× γ

is constant.


Force-free elastic strips

. The force b and the torque a have to be applied to the end pointof the strip to keep it in equilibrium.

. They come from the boundary terms of the first variation formulaused to derive the Euler-Lagrange equations.

Definition: An elastic strip is called force-free if the force vector bvanishes.

. For force-free elastic strips the bending energy is critical even if theend point of γ is allowed to move, only the frame at the end pointis held fixed.


Force-free elastic strips

. No condition on end point of γ variational problem for the tangent image T

. For a force-free elastic strip the Lagrange multiplier µ is positive normalize to 1 by scaling.

. We are looking for critical points of

E = 1/2

∫ L

0

(κ2(1 + λ2)2 + 1)ds.


Tangent image of a strip

. For a force-free elastic strip κ does not vanish tangent image T is a regular curve in S2 of curvature λ:

T′ = +κN

N′ = −κT + κλB

T′ = −κλN

. ds = κ ds γ can be reconstructed from an arclengthparametrization of T as

γ(s) =

∫ s

0

1

κT ds.


Variational problem for tangent image

Theorem: Let T: [0, L]→ S2 be an arclength parametrized curvewith curvature λ. Then among all strips γ : [0, L]→ R3 with tangentimage T the one given by

γ(s) =

∫ s

0

(1 + λ2) T ds

has minimal Sadowski functional E and

E =

∫ L

0

(1 + λ2) ds.

γ has curvatureκ = 1/(1 + λ)2.


Elastic curves on S2

Corollary: The tangent images offorce-free elastic strips are elastic curvesin S2, in fact critical points of∫ L

0

(1 + λ2) ds.

Conversely, for any such spherical curve Tthe space curve

γ =

∫(1 + λ2) T ds

defines a force-free elastic strip.


Closed force-free strips


Willmore Hopf tori

. All possible adapted frames (lifted to S3)define the frame cylinder

F : [0, L]× S1 → S3

of a space curve γ.

. F is the preimage of the tangent image Tunder the Hopf map S3 → S2.

Corollary: The frame cylinder of a force-freeelastic strip is Willmore in S3.


Momentum strips

Given

. any arclength-parametrized spherical elastic curve B : [0, L]→ S2

without inflection points

. its unit normal T = B × B ′

. its curvature λ.

Then

γ : [0, L]→ R3

γ =

∫(1 +

1

λ2)T

defines an elastic strip.


Momentum strips

Momentum strips are never closed.


Elastic strips by cut and paste

At any point γ(s) of a force-free elastic stripthe following are equivalent:

. The rulings make an angle of 45◦ with γ.

. The curvature of the tangent imagesatisfies λ(s) = 1.

. A glueing construction is possible wherethe curvature κ is discontinuous butnevertheless we still have an elastic strip inthe sense of balanced force b and torque a.


Open questions

. Closed solutions by cut and paste?

. Stable ones?

. Moebius band?

. Other integrable classes of elastic strips?

. Maybe all elastic strips come from an integrable system?

. . .


Ulrich Pinkall David Chubelaschwili

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